Seriously, one of my favorite things about summer weekends is having a refreshing adult beverage out-of-doors on a sunny, warm afternoon. Living where I do in West Hollywood, I can walk to a plethora of bars and restaurants that have nice courtyards or outdoor seating areas. Sadly though, for the most part they play hellish music, way too loud and the selection of cocktails are often over priced and, I don't know, pedestrian. Cosmopolitans? Yeah, if it were 1997. Lemon drops? Too sweet. Mojito? Insert indifferent shrug here. And don't even get me started on the establishment known for its staggering array of martinis the flavors of which include, but are not limited; to key lime pie, Butterfinger candy bars, caramel apple, dulce de Leche, chocolate banana, and creamsicle. God, my teeth hurt just thinking about them.
I suppose I ought to cultivate an appreciation for like, scotch on the rocks or whatever. And yet, there is just something about the clinky, swooshy sound of a cocktail shaker being joggled back and forth that just makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. You can imagine my excitement when I received the July issue of Bon Appetite, which features a number of refreshingly unusual recipes for margaritas, created by a Portland mixologist named Ryan Magarian. They all include seasonal fruits and unexpected herbs. This one in particular spoke to me.
INGREDIENTS
12 blackberries, plus 2 for garnish
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus 2 for garnish
3 tablespoons simple syrup
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
6 tablespoons silver tequila
1 tablespoon orange flavored liquor, such as Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, or Cointreau
1/4 cup sparkling wine
METHOD
Place the blackberries and the thyme in a cocktail shaker and using a muddler, pulverize the berries until they are pretty much a juicy mess. Add the simple syrup, lime juice, tequila, and orange liquor. Toss in a couple handfuls of ice and shake until the cocktail shaker is so cold you can't stand to hold it anymore.
Strain into two ice-filled glasses. Top off with the sparkling wine and then garnish with the remaining thyme sprigs and blackberries. Enjoy.
Okay so first let me say that the thyme is kind of brilliant. Even though it seems strange to include it in a drink, it actually works really well. It's just ever so woodsy and yet lemony at the same time, which works well with the lime juice. The blackberries are tart/sweet but not too sweet. It sort of balances out the acidity of the lime. The splash of sparkling wine adds a welcome finish of brightness and fizz.
One I idea I had after consuming a few of these is that an interesting variation on this might be to use tarragon in lieu of thyme. Tarragon and blackberries are great together. I wonder if you could do a combination of strawberries and basil. However, it's possible that the basil might turn an unappetizing color once it's muddled. I may have to do some experimenting this weekend...
Makes 2 drinks
Oh, this sounds so good and just what I've been in the mood for all week. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Meisha | June 29, 2007 at 10:47 AM
Thyme and blackberries...Yum. Right up my alley. I love cocktails that aren't too sweet too. That way you can drink more of them :)
Posted by: Julie | June 29, 2007 at 04:42 PM
This looks tremendous. I made the vodka/lemon/rosemary concoction recently and it was ACE, so I'm definitely trying this next. Word to strawberry/basil, too... you should absolutely start a sub-section of fruit & herb themed cocktails!
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Posted by: Victoria | July 01, 2007 at 05:00 AM
Reading the news while letting my rib eyes take in their kosher salt, I came across this story in todays NYT about the hippest cocktails, you sure have your finger on the pulse!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/fashion/15cocktails.html
Posted by: Annie | July 15, 2007 at 05:33 PM
Im not a diabetic patient. but i want to control glucose in my blood. usually i'm taking rice but due to this
im not a diabetic patient. but i want to control glucose in my blood. usually i'm taking rice but due to this purpose i want to take more vegetables and fruits. can anybody tell me which are the best fruits for health, low sugar and not harming the glucise level?
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Strain into two ice-filled glasses. Top off with the sparkling wine and then garnish with the remaining thyme sprigs and blackberries. Enjoy.
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The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and raspberries are also called caneberries or brambles.
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The black berry puts a twist on the margarita. I'll try this one with my margarita maker. Thanks.
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